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FIC Condor Small Form Factor Reviewed

Posted by michael on from the bigger-than-a-breadbox dept.

VL writes "A gamer's best friend? That's FIC's catch phrase, and we take them to task in our latest review. 'FIC put together a nice little barebone PC, but missed on some important features that enthusiasts have come to expect. While it's no slouch in gaming, it does not stand out in the performance department which is a shame as the design itself was well thought out.'"

2 of 79 comments (clear)

  1. Skip to page 6 for conclusions ... by xmas2003 · · Score: 5, Informative
    Looks like you gotta wade through each page (rather than be able to jump to the end) ... so for those interested in just seeing the conclusions, click here to go directly to page 6 where they write:

    Pros: Good performance, easy to assemble a system, better than average expansion options. Quiet.

    Cons: No BIOS tweaks possible. Mere 200W PSU. Poor onboard audio.

    --
    Hulk SMASH Celiac Disease
  2. Once you get an SFF Machine, you'll never go back. by wernst · · Score: 5, Informative
    I've been building my own machines since my first 486-33, and they've always been tall beige towers. I travel to a few gaming conventions a year, plus occasionally lug it to a client's facility for troubleshooting.

    When the first SFF (small form factor) machines came out, I was interested, but they were very limited with low-rent technology. That's not the case anymore. You want a PCI Express, or the latest Athlon-64, or maybe you want a steady-as-a-rock Intel 865 chipset and matching P4? There are well built SFF machines that fit the bill, and all you give up are PCI slots.

    My latest gaming machine is a Soltek 3401 (review at http://www.sfftech.com/showdocs.cfm?aid=464) with what was at the time the highest-end stuff, a P4 at 3 Ghz, a Radeon 9800XT, and to get a real gameport, a SB Audigy in the only PCI slot, along with two optical drives. The resulting machine is rock-steady, even overclocked and running 24/7 and playing all the latest games. Plus, it is a snap to travel to conventions with - it came with its own backback and I can check it in as a carry on. Bringing it to clients' is no problem either.

    This computer is the quietest I've ever had (save for the fanless, hard driveless Apple //e) and extremely reliable. When at conventions, it stays just as fast and delivers gameplay just as good as any of those modded, neon-lit monsters other folks bring, but at 1/3 the size.

    Though this FIC board doesn't seem to be very overclockable, most Shuttles and Solteks are. And don't worry about SFF power supplies - they are designed to be efficient and work well despite their low wattage ratings. Just try some high-end cards and be prepared to see them work fine.

    If the idea of an SFF machine interests you, check out the reviews and ask around at the forums of http://www.sfftech.com/. I'm glad I did.